Overused pun aside, my name is Jon, I’m on professional placement here at Appeal PR and I will be guest blogging.

Amongst the top ten fastest rising search terms of 2010 was, of course, Justin Beiber. The teenager’s meteoric rise to stardom is reflected in how rapidly his name managed to clamber into the top ten. Alongside this, September 2010 saw Justin accounting for 3 per cent of all tweets on twitter. However, despite his phenomenal ascent and the fact that the iPad topped the fastest rising searches of 2010 ahead of him; Facebook is very much in control of the top ten searched terms list overall. This isn’t all that surprising when you consider that Facebook is now more popular than all of Google’s sites combined.

Facebook, procrastination tool of many, young and old alike, remains a stronghold of social connection. The social tool has extended its grasp beyond merely the computer monitor; it can now permeate your smart phones, your normal mobile phones and even Xbox Live. Users can post to the site from other websites, sharing blog posts and other pieces of information. Facebook has slowly settled in to the bedrock of our communications and taken hold. This can most evidently be seen in the newly announced ‘non-mail’ which hopes to centralise all SMS, MMS, e-mail and IM messages into one hub: Facebook. It’s a bold venture that aims to consolidate all written communication, save snail mail, into one delivery point. This could have some implications ranging from embarrassing, as you realise that you sent a text meant for your spouse to your boss; to confusing. You can thank Mark Zuckerman for proposing eliminating subject lines.

This could also have some frustrating implications as Facebook is just one more segment of an individual’s digital fingerprint. However, the more advancements that Facebook makes, the more of a person’s information is gathered and brought to a single place. Sites such as 4chan, are prime examples. Their members are renowned for being able to gather a person’s full retinue of personal details from their first and last names, should anyone be foolish enough to provide them. This was before the era when information was as coalesced as Facebook, think about how easy this will make it now.

As if that wasn’t enough to unsettle the mind, more recently data collection from third party applications on Facebook has been in the realms of home addresses and phone numbers. People went ex-directory with their phone number for a reason! I’m sure they don’t want cold calling as a result of Facebook of all things.

Social media such as Facebook having become such an integral part of our lives over the past five years, it potentially offers businesses the opportunity of reaching out to its member base of 500 million people. A business account and a group are easy ways to tap into Facebook’s considerable traffic. A planned approach to content that goes out onto Facebook and linking it with twitter posts and blog entries would seem an effective means of ensuring the social media being utilised would be effective and a working synergy would exist between them all.

Does this mean that because Facebook has an already gargantuan lead on traditional media’s reach that traditional media itself should not be capitalised on? Well, as social media goes mobile, it seems to be that the over 50s are accessing social media, including Facebook, more and more through their mobiles, up to three times more likely to do so than people under 30. This will definitely impact businesses looking to reach specific target audiences and also make hanging onto more traditional media a sensible option.

Looking back at the advances made since the turn of the millennium, it brings to mind the prospects of the next decade as it takes its baby steps. In light of the uncertainty, ‘What is around the corner?’ becomes a more pressing question and so does this: Is Facebook going to be worth channelling effort into for reaching your target audiences?

-          Shock, horror, Facebook set to decline!  One of the findings (backed up by other surveys) is that we are likely to start to see a decrease in the popularity of the ubiquitous social media site as many teenagers now consider it to be, like uncool, as it has been hi-jacked by the over 30s, mainly their parents!

 -          A massive increase in multiplayer online games is expected and, along with larger numbers of users, there will be more brands looking to this medium as a way of engaging with mass audiences.  Korea’s Dungeon Fighter Online holds the current record for simultaneous participation with 2.2m people!

 -          In terms of mobile, it is predicted that a smartphone for less that $200 (£64) will soon be launched as Asian manufacturers having already rolled-out entry-level handsets in Africa and Asia

 -          Don’t worry if pushing the button on the remote is too much like hard work, next year a new device is due to hit the couch potato market.  Known as a ‘brush TV’, it will allow viewers to change channels just by moving in a certain way, and is an extension of Microsoft’s Xbox Kinect

 -          Interestingly, with the growth of e-books, there are fears that piracy will hit the publishing world in much the way it has devastated music and film

 -          And one last worrying thought, with online video now making up more than half of US internet traffic, there are very real concerns that gadgets like the iPad may actually lead to a cyber catastrophe with the entire internet imploding due to the sheer volume of traffic…

You can also find some more interesting predictions in this blog from Tamar.

The media circus that accompanies every election is already gathering pace with much posturing from all parties, not to mention an acceleration of ‘PR spin’ – a much used and misused phrase which does little to reflect the real day-to-day work of the public relations industry or, indeed, to enhance its image.  But, I digress – for the first time, the election will see a new, untried communications channel enter the political arena with the plethora of social media networks spawned since the last election in 2005.

Back then, Facebook and MySpace were just for techies and geeks, while Twitter and LinkedIn  hadn’t even been launched!  The digital landscape has changed beyond recognition in the last four years.  Social media networks are now mainstream communications tools and the ability to use them effectively a la Obama, could prove crucial in the UK too.  For example, the recent announcement by The Sun that it would be supporting the Conservative Party was greeted with generalindifference – the national press simply do not wield the power they once did.

There is no doubt that the battle to dominate the blogosphere has already begun, however, the British political parties have a long way to go to approach anything-like the sophistication of the Presidential social media machine.   At the recent CIPR Northern Conference , keynote speaker and blogger Alistair Campbell said that he had emailed Peter Mandelson during the recent party conference to tell him that he was ‘trending on Twitter’ – Mandelson’s response was a large question mark! 

The power of the Twitter phenomenon can be tracked as it evolved from a channel which reported the news in the style of traditional media, into a medium which was breaking world news stories in real time – its role in the Mumbai siege of 2008 marked a turning point in its role and influence.  Since then, its popularity has burgeoned  as it has played host to the world’s largest ‘popularity contest’ with various celebrities vying with the likes of Ashton Kutcher, Ellen DeGeneres and Britney Spears for the No1 spot.

While all of the parties are paying lip service to embracing social media, are any of them actually harnessing its powers?  A quick visit to Twitterholic showed the following interesting stats in our political leaders’ beauty parade:

Gordon Brown ranked 83,381th with 608 followers (March 2009); David Cameron ranked 39,527th with 1,277 followers (Feb 2009); and Nick Clegg ranked 886,320tghwith 24 followers (April 2009)

To put this into context, Barrack Obama is currently running a few places ahead of Oprah Winfrey at No. 6 with 2,612,615 followers!

There is no doubt that the power of social media is moving up the political agenda – who would have believed back in 2005 that the prime minister would use YouTube to address the nation?  Although whether or not this was a wise choice is debatable.

Personally, I feel that the growth of social media is a positive move for the humble voter.  Not only do immediate news channels like Twitter increase transparency, they also give individuals greater influence.  Apparently, PR agency Fishburn Hedges worked with Channel 4 News to use Twitter to extend public participation during the recent round of party conferences.  Their ‘twitter fringe’ or ‘Twinge’ initiative aimed to change the traditional fringe meeting by using the network to encourage wider audience discussion from people outside the meeting.  In this way, social networks are able to act as a conduit for public opinion and discussion which can only be a positive development for the democratic process.

Top 10 Political Blogs

As well as the main parties’ blogs (Labour List, ConservativeHome and LibDem Voice), the following are some of the most useful for would-be pundits:

Iain Dale

Political Betting

Guido Fawkes

London Reconnections

UK Polling Report

John Prescott

Matthew Taylor

Alastair Campbell

Nick Robinson

Paul Waugh

Still, it was an impressive and fundamental breakthrough which paved the way for our now passionate love affair with the internet. A small click for some very clever scientists, a giant plug-in for mankind.

In a relatively short space of time, this beloved piece of technology has wildly altered the way in which we live our lives. Could anyone now cope without it? Go back to relying entirely on posted correspondence, doing research in libraries, ditching our ipods for Discmans and buying our CDs from the spotty teenager at Our Price record store? How did we communicate, nurture friendships, sell, buy, do business? Can anyone actually remember?

I recently found myself living without internet access for a few weeks and had to navigate through what can only be described as a grieving process. Like a break-up. It surprised me just how often I would sit up to go and switch on my computer, hoping to find the answer to a question I’d dreamt up, plan trips I needed to make or search for those shoes I couldn’t find on the high street, before realising that that resource was not available to me.

I felt anxious that I couldn’t get to the hallowed shores of Facebook or the comfort of Hotmail, and frustrated when I needed a phone number right that minute for that restaurant I couldn’t remember the name of. It was like leaving the house without my wallet or mobile phone.

Had I really become so pathetically dependent on it? Or did I just have to accept that I, along with our society, am now simply unable to function as efficiently without it?

I’m glad to report that we’re now back together and very happy we are too. Once again I really do have the world at my fingertips and I can’t imagine it any other way. My social life is enhanced by it. My work depends on it. I can research everything I need to know (almost!) in a few hours, catch up with business news and journalists in an instant and promote my clients to audiences it may otherwise miss.

Indeed, social media mechanisms like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter have evolved beyond the realm of personal networking to become a fundamental part of our PR campaigns. Communicating through these channels allows businesses to reach out to previously untapped audiences, building profiles and sharing information, whilst keeping track of what others are doing and what tricks they’re missing.

The momentum they have gained is incredible and they are now justifiably seen as key business tools – social media really is the future and has a legitimate place in all communications campaigns in one way or another. It seems like everyone is exploiting it and it’s therefore important for businesses to recognise the opportunities it brings and incorporate social media into marketing strategy.

PR results can be hugely enhanced through digital media, allowing for effective corporate positioning, endorsement and news profiling, reinforcing a brand and building a personality behind it. It’s something that Appeal is taking seriously and we’re committed to meeting this revolution head-on to offer best value for clients. Embrace it and reap the benefits. We can help show you how.

So, the last 40 years has seen the internet evolve into a vast universe of knowledge and opportunity. It has changed the way we work forever, bringing us closer to our customers, helping us to operate and sell harder, faster, better. And this is only the beginning. If life begins at 40 then I, for one, am looking forward to what lies ahead.

Interested? Here are a few Appeal hints, tips and opinions to help you get into the swing of social marketing.

The benefits of Twitter

Making the most of LinkedIn

Facebook – Employers’ friend or foe?

It seems that increasing numbers of organisations are viewing the growth of social networking as a negative phenomena with a 20 per cent rise in companies blocking sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube etc.  While many executives recognise that social media can help business, the majority are tending to take a reactive approach and limit or ban access, perhaps because of fears about employee productivity, concerns about confidentiality or lack of understanding about how to harness the power of social media to their advantage.   In addition, excessive online social networking in a smaller office can be a drain on bandwidth and increase the risk of viruses.

Social media communication is growing exponentially, yet relatively few marketers have integrated it in their organisation’s communications plans.  At the very least, managers need to be developing employee policies giving guidance about use of social media at work.  Perhaps partly as a result of increased vigilance during these tougher economic times, there have been a growing number of cases where an employee has been dismissed because of misuse of social media.  In order to avoid these extreme situations, it is essential that employers communicate effectively with the workforce and clearly layout what they consider to be acceptable online behaviour both during business hours and also during their free time as this too can have a major impact on employers.

Attracting Young Talent

What’s more, a new survey has shown that companies seeking to attract young workers might want to reconsider prohibiting social networking sites at the office as half of those under 34 say they would choose an employer who gave them access.  With office workers representing the fastest growing demographic on Facebook, employers will need to weigh up the negatives of social networking against the possible loss of new talent before deciding on their corporate social media strategy.

There is no doubt that there are legitimate business uses and networking opportunities, but these must be controlled to ensure a consistent message and protect the corporate brand.  In some cases, particularly in more forward-thinking industries such as IT, employees’ use of Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn is being actively encouraged.  It is seen as a positive move which helps the workforce keep up to date with the latest trends, fosters relationships with other staff and suppliers and promotes engagement with customers. 

We advocate a realistic and productive approach to coping with the rise of Web 2.0 – employers must avoid being too heavy handed and instead come up with compromise solutions in order to take advantage of the opportunities offered by social networking.  From an HR perspective, a well-crafted ‘social media engagement policy’ can clarify expectations on both sides and avoid confrontation.  From a PR perspective, employees’ digital activities can offer countless benefits for a company with the building of online communities producing sales leads, providing competitor intelligence and enhancing professional development.  Don’t be frightened by the danger of losing control as you launch your message into the social media stratosphere; give your team clear guidelines and let them be your online ambassadors.

In those far off days when newspapers were populated by hard drinking hacks and  old Imperial typewriters cluttered the desks of smoke ridden newsrooms the impending arrival of  personal  computers was then but a dream for some and  a nightmare for others.

 My memory of the Daily Telegraph news room in those days of yore was a couple of fax machines clattering relentlessly away, churning out reams of paper from what resembled gigantic toilet rolls.  It was, however, those unremitting faxes which carried major news messages from agencies and correspondents  across the globe, many of  which became the banner headlined stories of the following day.

Gone, however, are the beer and gin sodden hacks, much derided as lunchtime o’boozers, along with their typewriters while the fax is fast becoming a relic of yesteryear.  The e-mail is now the much accepted fact of day-to-day communication in both working and personal life; we may sometimes hate the mass of messages on our screen when returning from holiday but there is a way round that – we take a BlackBerry with us so we can check our emails while lying on some sun drenched beach. 

 Yes, with our BlackBerry we can access our favourite social networking site, usually Facebook, perhaps Twitter, and bring our friends and family up to date with just what we’re doing on holiday and, of course, via our mobile we can send them a pic to show just how good we look in our designer swimwear.   Realistically, to be without our mobile is akin to having lost an all important body part. Let’s be honest about all this, if we’re not signed up to one or other social or business networking site, usually both, then we might be perceived as both socially and professionally inadequate!

 To blog or not to blog?  That is the all important question.   The internet plays an increasingly crucial role in our daily lives and the blog, which started off as something of an ego trip for those who wanted to reveal the minutiae of their often boring lives to anyone who was sad enough to read them, is becoming a professional tool.   Blogs are now seen by the media as offering up disclosures by those in public life, revelations which  often give rise to sensational disclosures on the evening news programmes.  Major national, occasionally international, news stories are ‘broken’ via a blog.  And those who bring us the news, the name of the BBC’s Business Editor Robert Peston comes to mind, are enthusiastic bloggers whose musings are closely followed by those addicted to news and the story behind the news. 

So back to the question!  Embrace it and blog away.

I’ve never been an advocate of using complex terminology, technical speak and marketing buzz words during my career in PR, and have always found that a straight forward and direct approach to business suited me just fine.

But that’s become more difficult as we have all embraced the myriad of new digital and social media over the past year or so that has brought a whole new language straight into mainstream culture.

I have been an avid ‘Facebooker’ for some time, having family spread across the world meant that was the best way to stay involved with people I know everywhere – it made sense for me.

Linkedin has crept through the PR industry and other professional services – especially recruitment – with an undeniable momentum. Last year we started using Facebook fan sites for clients who had ‘follower’ customers – restaurants, bars, websites and hotels particularly see the benefit.

Then came ‘Tweeting’ – and more than ever we have been drawn towards the world of blogging and social media as devices that are relevant for communicating with new publics, and not just for clients targeting ‘Yoof’ groups and geeks.

We have reached the point where social media PR is now relevant to every client, whether B2B or consumer to some degree or other. As an agency we aim to bring our trademark no bull approach to this exciting new opportunity.

Our challenges now are to filter the most relevant media devices for each campaign and client, to explain their relevance and implement them efficiently. That means getting to the bottom of every piece of jargon, every new trend and every facet of social media. If people can understand how this will benefit their business, they will use social media and benefit from it.

As a starting point, I found Darren Rowse A to Z useful.

We are already working with our clients to take the most relevant aspects of the social media mix for their businesses, and sew them together with traditional PR and media relations into a package that makes sense and delivers value.

Our use of digital media can amplify traditional PR results – media coverage – with very little additional effort, and funnel the benefits – sales and enquiries more directly to client businesses.

Just like media relations, this isn’t rocket science, but the devil is most certainly in the detail. We know some very clever specialists and we are learning from them and using the best expertise. Most of our clients want to get the most ‘bang for their buck’ – and by making social marketing relevant for their business – we can deliver that.

The social media and digital revolution is the biggest opportunity to get value for money profile in decades, and we hope to share some of our experiences of making social media relevant to all manner of business, tell you more about what the Appeal team are up to, and hopefully get your views too…